1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the game of golf and the equipment used by golfers. More in particular, the present invention relates to a golf ball and golf tee dispenser for use with or without common golf bags.
2. Background Information
The inventors are aficionados and students of the game of golf. There is a variation to the game of golf known as playing a "Mulligan". Thus, when players tee off rather badly, they have the option of declaring a "Mulligan". Whereupon, the player declaring a "Mulligan" may obtain another golf ball from his bag, tee it up and attempt to drive again. "Mulligan" is an agreed upon forgiveance and no stroke is incurred. A problem arises, however, when many "Mulligans" are declared. Easy access to many golf balls becomes imperative. Thus, there is a need in the art for a readily accessible golf ball and tee dispensing apparatus.
Golf ball dispensers are not unknown. Attempts have been made in the art to develop a golf ball dispenser in combination with a golf bag; the prior art suffers from complexity or inoperability.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,806,711 to Jacobs discloses a golf cart in FIG. 3 which has a spring loaded golf ball dispenser in combination with an uncommon golf cart. The golf dispensing apparatus of Jacobs is necessary to maintain the structural integrity of the golf cart and only holds four balls. Jacobs suffers from lack of feasibility. It is not understood how the golf balls are maintained inside of the tube with a spring urging the balls upwardly when the outlet for the balls is larger than the balls themselves. It is believed that Jacob's golf ball dispenser is inoperable and, in any event not compatible with an ordinary golf bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,362 to Chen, discloses a golf ball dispenser which is spring loaded and adapted to fit in an uncommon golf bag design. Chen's design as disclosed in FIG. 6, suffers from a weak spring and an almost certain temporary opening design. For example, in column 5, lines 33 through 37, Chen states: "The spring constant of the spring 66 is carefully selected such that the weight of each additional golf ball will cause the spring 66 to compress an axial distance equal to the diameter of one golf ball B. " Thus, the spring in Chen's FIG. 6 does not compress the balls tightly against resilient clip 64. Such a spring would be hard to construct and indeed difficult to design based upon the disclosure of Chen. Additionally, the resilient metal clip 64 is bound to wear out sooner or later.
Other golf ball dispensers are known, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,570,504; 2,590,154; 2,662,776; 2,881,925; 2,883,207; 3,164,393 and 4,852,896. All of the known golf ball dispensers suffer from peculiarity, complexity or infeasibility.
Most people play golf with conventional golf bags. There is nothing in the art which discloses a golf ball dispenser such as applicants' which can be inserted into a typical golf bag in a manner similar to the insertion of a golf club. The art needs such a golf ball dispenser which extends slightly above the ordinary bag with a readily accessible opening to both load and dispense golf balls therein.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a golf accessory which is compatible with any typical golf bag. The golf accessory is about the length of a typical golf club and is insertable in the typical golf bag. The golf accessory extends slightly above the golf bag and enables a golfer to readily access a new golf ball whenever a "Mulligan" is available to the golfer or whenever another golf ball is needed for whatever the reason.